May 11, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, ‘Thank you for all you do for our young people in such a critical stage of ‘their growth. ‘The high school years have a major impact on our young people’s possibility of realizing their full potential and becoming the person God created them to be, and you are a key part of that, Know that it is appreciated, This project is all the more pressing in the culture in which we are now living which, as we know, is marked by rapid changes in all areas of human life. ‘We now face unprecedented challenges that threaten the dignity of the human person and pose real risks for those who live on the social, economic and political margins of our world. Our young people are particularly vulnerable to the challenges and stresses these changes have created, In light of all this I have felt a ‘tremendous duty to ensure that the teachings of our faith are not lost amidst these new challenges. It was for this reason that I proposed adding language to the Faculty Handbook to proclaim clearly areas of Catholic identity in light of the culture in which we now live. Despite these worthy goals, several unintended consequences have resulted that have created the tensions we have been experiencing, I honestly did not foresee the reaction that ensued, and I apologize for this lack of foresight on my part. Over the course of these last few weeks I have been in conversations with different groups and individuals to seek a solution that will move us forward. In all of the discussions I have had, I have been told consistently that the issue is not Church teaching nor my role and responsibility in teaching the faith in our local church, but rather the way I went about doing this. This tells me that we need to find another approach to reach the same goal. One effort in this regard has already been underway for some time now. I refer to the redrafting of the original proposed Handbook language with a more pastoral tone, providing context for understanding Church teachings, and being representative of the full body of these teachings. I am deeply grateful to the committee of teachers who have worked on this document. They have worked very hard, and have truly poured their heart and soul into it.Thave reviewed the document the committee produced and after making a few changes in wording here and there that document is now available to you. However, I would not envision this being the exact final version of the document, as further improvements can be made. Therefore, before moving forward in implementing it, we will take some time (into the next school year) to allow you to reflect upon it, discuss it, and give some reaction to it. I have initiated a discussion with your Presidents and Principals on how best to go about this, and will continue to work with them on it. Once we have had sufficient time to ponder, study and refine the document, it will then be implemented. In addition to this, I have also begun discussions on finding ways to offer ‘you, our teachers, opportunities to understand more deeply the truths the Church teaches, to help you better understand the “what” and, especially, the “why” of the full range of Church teaching. The document which is eventually finalized could possibly serve as a basis for how this will be done. In the midst of the tensions and difficulties we have all been experiencing, let us remember what is most important of all, and why we do what we do for the sake of our young people: Jesus Christ, Let us keep Christ at the center. In this, season of Easter we keep our eyes focused on his Resurrection from the dead, our only sure source of hope. Let us keep our eyes fixed on him, that we may glorify him in all that we do. And let us remember to pray for each other. I promise to pray for you, and I ask you to pray for me and for one another. ‘Thank you again for your dedication to our students. May God bless you and the work that you do, that it may bear fruit in the lives of those you teach. Sincerely yours in our Lord, Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone Archbishop of San FranciscoDRAFT—DRAFT—-DRAFT May 10, 2015 Preamble Pope Francis inspired and encouraged a delegation of Jesuit school teachers and their students in June of 2013, when they travelled from Italy and Albania for a visit to the Vatican, with the following words: Give [the students] hope and optimism for their journey in the world. Teach them to see the beauty and goodness of creation and of man [and woman] who always retains the Creator's hallmark. But above all with your life be witnesses of what you communicate. Educators — Jesuits, teachers, operators, parents — pass on imowledge and velues with their words; but their words will have an incisive effect on children and young people if they are accompanied by their witness, their consistent way of life. Without consistency it is impossible to educate! You are all educators, there are no delegates in this field. The teachers in the high schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco have animated and inspired thousands of students for several decades. Bach year the teachers hold their students to lofty standards and, by skill, wit, and patience, motivate the students to exceed the high standards set for them. The Archdiocese is proud of its teachers, and applauds them as they seek to deepen Catholic attitudes and sentiments in their students. This becomes increasingly difficult in a society that no longer provides support for broad religious convictions. All faculty, administrators, and staff contribute to the mission of our Catholic schools, Those wiho strive to be faithful Catholics seek to conform their hearts, minds and consciences ever more perfectly to the image of Jesus Christ in accordance with the faith that has been handed on by the Catholic Church down through the ages. Other teachers, administrators, and staff also make 2 valuable contribution to the Archdiocesan schools by being professionally well trained and by broadly endorsing the goals of a genuine Catholic education. As committed and skilled educators in the Archdiocesan high schools, these teachers, administrators, and staff provide personal witness and vital assistance to the goal of forming young people in wisdom and knowledge by being expert expositors and motivators of modem learning, For a Catholic high school to attain excellence, it must be at one and the same time an excellent, institution of secondary education and a truly Catholic institution. In our age, though, a significant diminution in public support of religious belief poses difficult challenges to all religious high schools. Following the general structure of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the following pages, then, offer a short compendium of some important teachings of the Catholic faith. E Introduction: Jesus Invites Us to Relations! Jesus and His Mission of SalvationDRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 Jesus, God made flesh, came into the world to save humanity. His life, death, and resurrection are the very substance of the Good News. The loving, redemptive ministry of Jesus icompasses all people and all times. In every age and circumstance, Jesus calls men and ‘women to know him, to believe in him, and to follow him. Through him, God invites broken people into salvation as they repent and believe the Gospel. God pours out His compassion, merey, forgiveness, and healing to those damaged by brokenness, sickness, and sin. Jesus’ proclamation of liberty for captives extends to all who have ears to hear (Luke 4:18-19). Through Jesus, one comes to understand the inexhaustible, merciful love of the Father, who runs to welcome home each child who is lost. One experiences the tender mercy of the shepherd, ‘who searches for the lost sheep and rejoices when he finds it. One experiences the healing power of God. The forgiving father, the good shepherd, and the good physician are among the compelling images of God, who desires to bring people into deeper, intimate union with Him (Luke 15, Matthew 8: 12-14, Mark 2:17). God initiates and longs unfailingly fo be in relationship with all people so that they might fulfill their own dignity and find the purpose of their life, He creates each person in His own image and likeness, and offers each person a vocation to beatitude, to a life of true happiness. God ceaselessly invites people to relationship with Him. As Pope Saint John Paul writes, it is “in Christ and through Christ [that] man has acquired full awareness of his dignity, of the heights to which he is raised, of the surpassing worth of his own humanity” (Redemptoris Hominum, 11, 3). The dynamic reality of God’s love poses to His people the continual challenge of transformation, and sanctification through the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Those who respond to His invitation enter new life in the Spirit, and are called to become holy—to become more like Crist—as they mirror the mystery of his redemptive suffering and death. They thereby come to share in the triumphant freedom of the Risen One. This process of becoming holy begins with ‘the awareness of the need for purification. At the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis defined himself, saying, “Iam a sinner. This is the most accurate definition. It is nota figure of speech, a literary genre. I ama sinner.” Through this statement, Pope Francis expressed the reality that every human being experiences. Every person has fallen short of God’s glory and stands in need of God's mercy and healing (Romans 3:23). God is always able to “make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). The Christian life is a continual process of daily conversion as the believer turns away from sin toward the mercy, love, and embrace of God. ‘This call to transformation invites one to fuller communion and union with God, who is Love. It also informs the institutional life of the Catholic school. Jesus and His Disciples Jesus commissioned his apostles to “Go...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing ‘them. ..teaching them to observe all that [ have commanded you” (Matthew 28: 19). From age to age, Jesus calls Christians to teach and believe in his Name. Accordingly, the Church is both evangelical and missionary. A principal component of this mission to spread the Good News is to teach as Jesus did. Catholic education is one of the principal means by which the Church evangelizes and teaches.DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015. The Mission of Catholic Education ‘The Catholic Church has advanced education as a means of forming the whole person: spiritually, morally, intellectually, physically, and socially (see Gravissimum Educationis). The student, as a disciple of Christ, is thus presented with the knowledge, beliefs, skills, and practices to flourish in this world. Additionally, students are then enabled to share with others the fruits of what they received in the classroom, In every generation, Catholic schools exist both as centers of evangelization and faith formation as well as centers of academic excellence, The primary goal of Catholic schools is to give students the direction they need to live a holy life in this world, deepening their relationsbip with God now so that they may enjoy eternal happiness with God as their ultimate end. A secondary goal of Catholic schools is to foster an academic culture aimed at the pursuit of truth, In accord with longstanding Catholic intellectual tradition, students are taught how to think logically, critically, and compassionately so as to prepare them to lead virtuous lives in human society (see Gravissimum Educationis). In this regard, Pope Francis highlights the critical role and mission of Catholic schools; The process of secularization tends to reduce the faith and the Church to the sphere of the private and personal. Furthermore, by completely rejecting the ‘transcendent, it has produced a growing deterioration of ethics, a weakening of the sense of personal and collective sin, and a steady increase in relativism. These hhave led to a general sense of disorientation, especially in the periods of adolescence and young adulthood which are so vulnerable to change. ...We are living in an information-driven society which bombards us indiscriminately with data—all treated as being of equal importance—and which leads to remarkable superficiality in the area of moral discernment, In response, we need to provide al thinking and encourages the development of Gaudium, 64]. Issues that Prevail Today ‘tis the mission of the Church in every generation to invite all people to know the saving love of God who has revealed Himself and His love for the world in His son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ‘Those who hear and respond to the call to follow Jesus are challenged to make the truths of the Gospel their own. A Christian is to be “salt and light”, making known the unconditional, Jimitless transforming love of God in a world that so often stands in so great a need of it. As the prologue of John’s Gospel poetically reveals to us, “what came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race.” Our world, indeed all people in all generations, stand in need of illumination by this saving light of Chest, and it is the Church, the people of God in union with Christ their head, who are called to live as witnesses to this transcendent divine love,DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 ‘What follows is a brief treatment of selected beliefs of the Church and principles of the Christian life, The Gospel cannot be reduced to a list of truths no matter how comprehensive because the Gospel is a person, the anointed one, Jesus of Nazareth, who is Lord. That which is articulated hhere must be taught in a larger context and with greater depth, always prioritizing the personal encounter with Christ. These are noted here because of their relevance to the mission of Catholic education in the local church. Many other teachings in Sacred Scripture and Church Tradition, often summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (hereafter CCC), are not highlighted below. All teachings of the Church inform the Catholic school’s mission. As the Catholic Faith is essentially relational, the following categories of belief and practice are organized around relationships. Covenantal Relationship (The Creed) God “in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life” (CCC 1). He invites each person into loving union with Him and to experience the freedom of the sons and daughters of God (see CCC 748-962; Romans 8:21). While on earth, the human person is in a state of journeying to this goal; only in Heaven will one experience the fullness of joy and see God face to face. The ordinary way that the human person discovers the fullness of truth, goodness, and beauty is by discovering and entering into union with Jesus Christ and his Church. This union is not simply a passive reception of past dogma and tradition; itis falling in love with God and all that He has revealed. Pope Francis wrote, “the first proclamation must ring out over and over: Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save your and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you” (Evangelit Gaudium, 164). ‘The Good News is therefore much more than simply grasping ideas; it is following the Person of Jesus himself. The apologist Frank Sheed wrote, “We are not nourished by the food that someone else has eaten, To be nourished by it, we must eat it ourselves.” The faith of those who have gone before must be echoed with personal assent by each person who seeks to follow God. ‘A loving relationship requires a frce response. ‘The human person is given the power to accept or reject God; to choose a life that either promotes or opposes truth, goodness, and beauty (see CCC 1020-1060). The choice to follow Christ is a choice to enter into the covenantal relationship depicted in the Old Testament, freely binding one’s self by the laws of God. This covenantal relationship is a choice to allow one’s life to be changed by the Good News of the Gospel. It is no accident that the baptismal promises begin with the question, “Do you believe?" Christians are above all believers, those who have made the timeless creed of Christianity the foundation of their life, What one believes is manifested in how one lives. Faith is made visible by Christians who live out the Gospel. Faith, though, not only transforms the individual, but it compels Christians to seek to share the Good News with others. A person in love longs to share the beloved with others. Similarly, Catholic Christians long to help others know God in union with the Church.DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 Jesus promised that he would not leave his followers orphans, that he would send them the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-18), and that truth would endure in the Church until the end of time (Matthew 16:18). Scripture further tells us, “the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). This means that while individuals in the Church may be great sinners, the Church cannot err in matters of faith and morals, The Church teaches with God-given authority. Specifically, when the Pope speaks in his official capacity as head of the Church, he shares in Christ’s guarantee that the Church proclaims truth (Luke 10:16). ‘This same authority is found in the ‘teaching office (Magisterium) of those bishops in union with the Pope (CCC 891). Likewise, when one speaks “with the mind of the Church,” a Christian can be confident that itis the loving words of truth that are spoken. Sacramental Relationship (The Sacraments) ‘Christ continues to live and act in and with the Church (CCC 1076). Specifically, Christ acts through the sacraments. A sacrament is an outward sign of God’s grace instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which we are given a share in God’s life (CCC 1131). “The seven sacraments touch ell the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith” (CCC 1210). An educator who is immersed in the sacraments and encourages his students to do likewise, is opening wide the doors of the heart to God’s presence. As the first disciples traveling with Christ on the road to Emmaus, the disciples of the third millennium are strengthened by the sacraments as they walk the road to life. In the sacraments, God’s abundant grace is given and received, ‘The sacraments of Christian initiation, namely Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, lay the foundations of every Cristian life. ‘Through them, the human person receives and is enabled to grow in new life as a child of God (CCC 1212). This new life can be weakened or even lost through sin. The two sacraments of healing, the sacrament of Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, restore the life that was damaged or lost by sin and sickness (CCC 1420-21). The sacraments of vocation, Holy Orders and Matrimony, confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God (CCC 1534). Sacrament of the Eucharist: In order to leave his disciples with a pledge of his love, in order that God might always be with them, and that they might share in Jesus’ death and Resurrection, Jesus instituted the Eucharist (CCC 1337). In the Eucharist, Jesus is truly present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under each, of the forms of bread and wine. Holy Communion is the “daily bread” of Christians, nourishing them in the life of Christ. As every reception of the Eucharist is an encounter with the living, God, “we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment” (CCC 1835). Catholics do this by living in a state of grace and embracing a life of virtue. It is not fitting to express union with the God who is love if one is consciously living in sin and attached to serious viee. For this reason, “Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance” (CCC 1415;see also Can. 960 CIC).DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 ‘The Eucharist is a gift that makes present the sacrifice of the Cross and allows each person to experience the depihs of God’s love (CCC 1366). At every Mass, the “lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value” (CCC 1368). This encounter with Jesus preserves, increases, strengthens and replenishes one in following the path of holiness (CCC 1393-95). It unites one more closely to Christ and through him, to the entire Church (CCC 1396). It deepens charity and encourages one to serve one’s brothers and sisters, especially the least among us (CCC 1397-98). This is why the faithful are obliged to attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation (CCC 2181). Sacraments of Vocation: ‘Matrimony is one of the two sacraments of vocation. It is a partnership between a man and a woman of permanent and exclusive fidelity ordered toward the good of the spouses and procreation and education of offspring. By their total gift of self to the other, husband and wife become one flesh, united in body and spirit. This is also the primary image God uses to teach about His covenantal relationship with His people, fulfilled in Christ, the Bridegroom with the Church, his Bride (see Eph 5:21-32; CCC 1601-1666; cann. 1055, 1056, 1057 § 1 CIC). Children have a right to a father and mother whenever possible and to be the fiuit of the conjugal love of their parents (CCC 2378). The civil institution of marriage protects this right and ensures the succession of generations and family life. Pope Francis eloquently states: The family is experiencing @ profound cultural crisis...In the case of the family, the weakening of these bonds is particularly serious because the family is the fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another; itis also the place where parents pass on the faith to their children. Marriage now tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will. But the indispensable contribution of marriage to society transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple, As the French bishops have taught, it is not born “of loving sentiment, ephemeral by definition, but from the depth of the obligation assumed by the spouses who accept to enter a total communion of life [Evangelii Gaudium, 60} ‘Those who receive the sacrament of Holy Orders are consecrated in Christ’s name “to feed the Church by the word and grace of God” (CCC 1535). The Church does not believe the ministerial Priesthood is merely an administrative or leadership role. It is first and foremost a sacrament. ‘The priest is a sacramental sign of Jesus Christ. At every Mass, the priest acts in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) as he manifests the redeeming love of Christ the Bridegroom for his Bride, the Chureh. Consequently, the practice of ordaining men only has remained the constant Tradition of the Church for over 2000 years (CCC 1578). The Church lacks the power to ordain women because the Church must hold to Christ’s example, to the examples of the Apostles, and to the constant Tradition of the Church (Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, n. 4). The fact that most men and all women are not ordained priests dos not mean they have less dignityDRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 or importance in the Chureh. In particular, the “presence and the role of women in the life and mission of the Church ... [is] absolutely necessary and ireplaceable” (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, n. 3). The heart of humanity, the greatness of all people, is found in holiness rather than in a particular state of life. All vocations have the purpose of leading people to holiness. Communal Relationship (Morality) The Vocation of the Human Person Every buman person is created in the image and likeness of God. Each person has a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free will. Every life has purpose and meaning, Humanity is not simply the random product of chance and evolution alone. Rather, each person is willed by God and loved with an infinite love (Spe Salvi, 5). God has a plan for the happiness of every person He creates, and God wants all of humanity to know the joy of a life lived in communion with Him, Each person is called in soul and in body to eternal bliss (CCC 1699-1715). People freely accept this vocation to happiness by their actions. “The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes” (CCC 1733). When human actions are good and directed towards God, the Ultimate Good, humanity flourishes (CCC 1730-33). Conscience plays an important role in the moral life and in choosing to do good. One’s conscience is a judgment of reason whereby one can recognize the moral quality of a concrete act, and the Church affirms that the voice of God can be heard through it. However, the individual conscience is not infallible and in fact requires formation. ‘The formation of conscience is a life-long task and occurs with self-mastery, prayer, study of Sacred Scripture, and listening to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium. Done consistently, human persons fine- tune their receptive capabilities to hear God speaking to them, advising them to do this and shun that. In this manner, the human person grows both in virtue and in union with God (CCC 1776- 94). The Commandments In today’s society, there is considerable discussion regarding several of the Commandments that the Church has always used as the foundation of the Christian life. Highlighted below are the teachings of the Magisterium surrounding respect for life, morality, and sociel justice (see CCC part IIf, section I1). Consistent Ethic of Life ‘The Church works to build up a culture of life and recognizes how often the most vulnerable in society are unprotected. Pope Saint John Paul II wrote: It is possible to speak in a certain sense of a war of the powerful against the weak: A life that would require greater acceptance, love, and care is considered useless or held to be an intolerable burden and is therefore rejected in one way or another.DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 ‘A person who, because of illness, handicap or, more simply, just by existing, compromises the well-being or lifestyle of those who are more favored, tends to be looked upon as an enemy to be resisted or climinated [Evangelium Vitae, 12]. Catholics are called to “Respect, protect, love, and serve life, every human life!” (Evangelium Vitae, 5). The Church is characterized by a consistent love for and defense of the human person. ‘The Church knows that all people—regardless of size, location, development, environment, age, ete.—have dignity and value. Life is beautiful and worth defending no matter what the circumstances. Science shows that the fetus is a human organism/person from the beginning of fertilization, Likewise, the Church proclaims that each life, from the moment of conception until natural death, in every stage and in every condition, is meaningful and sacred. Consequently, the Church always defends the life of every human being (CCC 2558-2330). Morality God calls all His children to chastity, whether married or unmarried. Chastity means “the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being” (CCC 2337). To be chaste is to value each person as someone to be loved, not as a body to be used. To be chaste is to regard the person as more valuable than sexval pleasure. Chastity frees the human person for self-mastery of the passions and for genuine love (CCC 2337-2345). ‘The Church sees that sex has an end ((elos) that never changes. The natural ends of sex are both conjugal union and procreation. ‘This is why it is only within the bond of marriage open to both of these ends that sexual intimacy is properly ordered. The Church tirelessly upholds and safeguards this truth (CCC 2331-2391). ‘The Church makes a distinction between someone’s desires and someone’s actions Desires/attractions are neutral to the extent they are spontaneous and not willed. Having an attraction to someone isn’t sinful, yet not every human desire should be acted upon. One is morally responsible for freely chosen actions (CCC 1762-1775). All people, regardless of sexual attraction, are beloved sons and daughters of God, made in His image and likeness. All people have dignity, rights, and deserve complete respect and love (CCC 2357-2359). Therefore, ail members of the human family must always be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Social Justice Jesus commanded his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you.” ‘The foundation of Catholic social teaching “is a correct view of the human person and of his unique value, inasmuch as ‘man is the only creature on carth which God willed for itself.” God has imprinted his own image and likeness on man (cf. Genesis 1:26), conferring upon him an incomparable dignity” (Centesimus Annus, 11). Thus Catholic social teaching begins with a strong defense of the dignity, worth, and the right to life of every person from conception to natural death.DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 Catholic social teaching emphasizes the importance of the family, recognizing the family as the foundation of every healthy society. In particular, the Church supports a living wage that provides adequately for every family with regard to food and shelter, ‘The Church also advocates for reasonable working hours and conditions that support a stable home life, Work is part of the human condition and the rights of workers must be upheld. The Church defends good stewardship of one’s resources (see Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum and John Paul Il, Centesinus Anus). Ownership and stewardship entail promoting and caring for the common good of society. They also involve a respect for nature and care for the environment. Catholic social thought emphasizes the principle of subsidiarity, ‘This means that higher authorities should promote and defend the common good of all, and assist and protect local communities only when they cannot adequstely perform certain tasks (see Centesimus Annus 48). ‘The Church has always especially cared for the poor. At the dawn of the new millennium, Pope John Paul Il identified the poverty of millions of men and women as “the one issue which most challenges our human and Christian consciences...” (John Paul II, Message for ihe 2000 World Day of Peace, 14). The Church asks Christians to make care for the poor a priority in their activity in the world, ‘All people have the right to the freedom of religion. The choice to believe any religious faith must be voluntary. Faith should be an act of free will, or itis not valid, Religions liberty is both amoral and natural right. Bach faith must be allowed the freedom to teach its members, according to its faith tradition. Spiritual Relationship (Prayer) ‘The disciple’s life in Christ and call to holiness is supported and nourished by prayer. On many occasions, the Gospels explain that Jesus went off by himself to pray to the Father, The disciple of Christ is likewise marked by fidelity to prayer. Each Christian is called to develop a familiar and personal relationship with the Father through Jesus, God always initiates prayer. “Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours” (CCC 2559). In response to God’s invitation, prayer is the visible fruit of the covenant relationship between God and the human person; itis the lifting up of one’s mind and heart to God (see CCC 2558-2651). Personal prayer is one’s daily opportunity to talk with God, pouring out one’s heart and opening the door for God to act in one’s life. Communal prayer is ‘when one enters into the daily prayer of the Church, learning to pray as the great saints have done and to “put on the mind of Christ”. ‘Thus, “Prayer cannot be reduced to the spontaneous outpouring of interior impulse: in order to pray, one must have the will to pray. Nor is it enough to know what the Scriptures reveal about prayer: one must also lear how to pray” (CCC 2650). The Holy Spirit, along with the Church, teaches one how to pray.DRAFT—DRAFT—DRAFT May 10, 2015 ‘The Bible and Christian experience teach that prayer makes a difference. Prayer is one of the ways the human person cooperates with God’s will. Prayer teaches the human person how to grow in order to accept God’s plan, how to wait until the timing is right, or how to receive a joyful “yes,” making God’s will one’s own. Prayer expresses the intimate union between the ‘human person and God. Closing Summary Pope Francis compellingly stated, “Those who have opened their hearts to God’s love, heard his, voice and received his light, cannot keep this gift to themselves” (Lumen Fidei, 37). Working and teaching in a Catholic school allows one the privilege and honor to witness to the power of God’s love and to share that love with young people, handing on to them the Church’s timeless faith and inculcating in them the values that come from that faith, so that they may become the persons God has created them to be and so find happiness with Him now and in eternity. 10